Abstract:

Social anxiety disorder is one of the most common and intractable mental disorders. Numerous studies have found that attention bias training can be an effective treatment for patients or normal people with social anxiety. According to self-report, structured interview and physiological records, researchers found that individuals with social anxiety change attention bias, physiological arousal and cranial nerve activity, in addition, their social anxiety symptoms are relieved after attention bias training. Intervention mechanism of attention bias training towards social anxiety is probable because training enhances individual attentional disengagement ability from the threatening stimulation. Future research further clarify intervention effect and mechanism of attention bias training towards social anxiety, and broaden the evaluation means of attention bias training effect as well as explore its long-term effects and the role in other mental illnesses.

Key words: social anxiety, attentional bias, attentional bias training